Google's $200 Pixel Buds Pro vs. Apple's $249 AirPods Pro

Google this week launched its latest earbuds, the $200 Pixel Buds Pro, which are designed to compete with the AirPods Pro. In our latest YouTube video, we tested out the Pixel Buds Pro to check them out and to test whether they're on par with the $250 ‌AirPods Pro‌.


The Pixel Buds Pro are more affordable than the ‌AirPods Pro‌ and offer a similar feature set with Active Noise Cancellation, a Transparency mode, "Hey Google" voice control, automatic switching between paired Bluetooth devices, and Find My Device app tracking in case they're misplaced.

Like the ‌AirPods Pro‌, the Pixel Buds Pro have silicone tips that fit into the ears for a tight seal to cut down on exterior noise. Google advertises a Silent Seal feature that improves noise cancellation, and we were impressed with the noise cancellation capabilities. Later this year, Google plans to add spatial audio functionality, but it's not available at this time.

pixel buds pro 1
Google does include a Transparency mode, but it's not up to par with the Transparency mode on the ‌AirPods Pro‌ and it's hard to tell that it's even on. There is an app that comes with the Pixel Buds Pro so you can tailor the sound to fit your needs, but the app is only available on Android devices and EQ adjustments aren't set to be available until later in the year.

As for the fit, the Pixel Buds Pro do not have long stems and instead have a shorter body that makes them less obtrusive in the ears. We found the Pixel Buds Pro to fit well in the ear and to be comfortable for long periods of listening, and Google does include built-in sensors that measure the pressure in the ear canal for more comfort.

pixel buds pro 2
With their smaller body, the Pixel Buds Pro fit in a little case that adds additional battery life, similar to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ charging case. The Pixel Buds Pro offer up to 31 hours of battery life, while the ‌AirPods Pro‌ are limited to about 24 hours of battery.

pixel buds pro 4
The Pixel Buds Pro are solid earbuds that have a lot to offer, but they may not be appealing to Apple users just because of the convenience of fast switching with AirPods and because you can't adjust the sound without an Android device. It will also be interesting to see how the Pixel Buds Pro measure up to the next-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, which are rumored to be coming out later this year.

pixel buds pro 5
Rumors suggest the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 will feature an updated H1 chip with self-adaptive noise cancellation capabilities, and they might include Lossless audio support. We're also expecting sound improvements and improved ‌Find My‌ functionality, with a full rundown of what's coming available in our AirPods Pro 2 guide.

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Top Rated Comments

Poisednoise Avatar
36 months ago
Perhaps I’m in the minority as a musician, but I really do object to articles about headphones that don’t even mention the sound (or even provide any frequency graphs). You’d never do a test of monitors without looking at the screens, or a test of a laptop without doing a few benchmarks, would you?
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
36 months ago
What about the sound quality?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Heat_Fan89 Avatar
36 months ago
Dumb article. If you own an iPhone why would you buy Google's earbuds? And if you own a Google or Android phone you'll most likely get the Google Buds Pro.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aston441 Avatar
36 months ago
Came expecting, as usual, no objective testing of the microphones. Found no testing of sound quality either way, not even subjective. Leaving with expectations more than satisfied!
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lk400 Avatar
36 months ago
How is the sound quality not even mentioned? These are ear phones, sound quality should be 80%, and bells and whistles the other 20.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aston441 Avatar
36 months ago
Here's an article to help all new aspiring reviewers of sound equipment get started, BEFORE they set off reviewing such items:

https://www.electronicshub.org/what-is-an-oscilloscope/


Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)